Wheel assembly for a boat



Nov. 15, 1966 A. ZORETlc 3,284,821

WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR A BOAT Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTOR.

Irma/[Kn 3,284,821 WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR A BOAT Max A. Zoretic, R0. Box 23, Ely, Minn. Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,207 6 Claims. or. 9-1

This invention relates to a retractable wheel assembly for a boat and more particularly to a retractable wheel assembly adapted to be used in launching, landing and transporting a small boat.

In the backwoods areas, it is ditficult to transport a boat to and from the various lakes as much of this area is roadless. Recently, the Federal Government has restricted the use of motorized vehicles in the roadless areas. Thus, the demand for a device which can be used in portaging or transporting a boat throughout these areas has become increasingly acute.

In the past, various types of boat portaging devices have been used. In one conventional type the boat, after landing, is lifted onto a carriage which is supported by wheels. The boat is then strapped onto the-carriage and transported. With a device of this type, it is required that the boat be beached, unloaded, lifted up on the carriage and then the equipment loaded back into the boat.

In another conventional type of portaging device, the portaging wheels are mounted on arms which are pivotally connected to a pipe which extends across the boat and the arms extend vertically downwardly from the gunwale of the boat. With a device of this type, the track between the wheels is generally too wide to follow the paths through the roadless areas, and the device also tends to damage the gunwale of the boat where it is fastened.

The present invention relates to an improved retractable wheel assembly for launching, landing and transporting a small boat. The device is easily converted from the retracted to the transporting position, and in the transporting position the wheels are positively locked beneath the boat.

More specifically, the portaging assembly includes a pair of wheel units, each of which includes a clamp which is secured to the gunwale of the boat. An arm is pivotally connected to each clamp by hinge assemblies and the arm curves downwardly to a position beneath the hull and carries the wheel. Each arm also carries a keel block having a longitudinally extending groove which is adapted to engage the keel strip on the bottom of the boat hull when the wheel units are in the portaging or transporting position. The engagement of the keel strip with the groove in the back serves to lock the wheel unit in proper position.

When the boat is in the water, the wheel units are nor mally pivoted upwardly and are folded across the boat. When the boat is to be landed, the wheel units are pivoted outwardly and the arms are pushed downwardly so that the blocks engage the keel strip on the bottom of the boat. The boat can then be beached without removing any of the equipment from the boat.

When launching the boat, the boat is merely pushed out into the water until the boat is floating and the wheels no longer touch the beach. The arms can then be pushed downwardly to disengage the grooves from the keel strips and the arms are then pivoted upwardly and inwardly to fold the wheel units in the boat.

The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive device to be used in launching, landing and transporting a small boat. The wheel units can be readily moved from the retracted to the transporting position by merely pivoting the arms outwardly and the wheel units tates Patent 3,234,821 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 "ice are locked in proper alignment beneath the boat in a position where they can support the weight of the boat and the gear within the boat.

As the wheel units are located substantially beneath the boat, the spacing or track between the wheels is narrow so that the boat can readily be moved down narrow trails in roadless areas.

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a boat incorporating the retractable wheel units attached to a small boat with the wheel units in the transporting position;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section similar to FIG. 2 and showing the wheel assembly in the folded position; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section showing the engagement of the clamps With the gunwale of the boat and the engagement of the keel block with the keel strip of the boat.

The drawings illustrate a pair of retractable wheel units 1 attached to a boat 2. The wheel units 1 are adapted to be moved from a retracted or storage position within the boat to a transporting position located beneath the boat.

Each of the wheel units 1 includes a clamping mechanism 3 which serves to attach the wheel unit to the gunwale 4 of the boat. Each clamp, as shown in FIG. 4, includes upper clamping member 5 having an outer curved section 6 adapted to extend around the gunwale and a downwardly extending flange 7. In addition, each clamp 3 includes a lower clamping member 8 having a curved section 9 adapted to engage the inner portion of the gunwale and an upwardly extending flange 10 which is located parallel to the flange 7. The upper clamping member 5 and the lower clamping member 8 are connected together by a series of bolts 11.

Each wheel unit 1 includes a pair of arms 12 which are connected by a hinge assembly 13 to the respective clamps 3. Each hinge assembly 13 comprises a vertical hinge leaf 14 which is welded to the flange 7 of the clamp 3, and the vertical hinge leaf 14 is connected to a horizontal hinge leaf 15 by a hinge pin 16. Hinge leaf 15 is connected to a hinge leaf 17 by a pin 18 and the leaf 15 is welded to the upper ends of the arms 12. With this construction, the hinge leaf 17 can be pivoted with respect to the horizontal hinge leaf 15 and the hinge leaf 15 can be pivoted with respect to the fixed vertical hinge leaf 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the arms are generally curved and in the transporting position, extend downwardly over the splash rail 19 on the hull of the boat to a position generally beneath boat 1 and support the wheels 20. The arms 12 are connected together by a series of braces 21, and a series of diagonal braces 22 connect the arms 12 to the axle 23 on which the wheels 20 are journalled. In addition, a U-member 24 is secured to the axle 23 and extends upwardly over the wheel 20.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a block 25, which may be formed of wood or the like, is secured by bolts 26 to the web portion of the U-1nember 24 and to the lower portions of the arms 12. The upper surface of the block is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 27 which is adapted to engage the keel strip 28 which extends along the bottom of the boat 2.

When the boat is in the water, the wheel units 1 are pivoted inwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, and are folded across the centerline of the boat. When the boat is to be landed, the arms 12 are pivoted upwardly and downwardly along the hull of the boat and pushed down until the groove 27 engages the keel strip 28- on the bottom of the boat. This engagement insures that the wheels are in proper alignment and in position to support the weight of the boat and the equipment when the boat is beached. The natural buoyancy of the pneumatic tires 29 of wheels 20 tends to urge the blocks 25 upwardly to maintain engagement of the grooves 27 with strips 28. As the boat approaches the beach, the tires 29 will contact the beach and the boat can be readily rolled out of the water and transported without having to remove the equipment from the boat.

As the wheels 20 are located substantially beneath the boat, the spacing or track between the wheels is at a minimum, generally from 15 to 24 inches, depending on the size of the boat, and this minimum track enables the wheels to follow narrow trails in the roadless areas.

When it is desired to launch the boat, the boat is rolled down the beach into the water until the boat floats and the tires 29 are out of contact with the beach. As shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal hinge leaf 15 is spaced upwardly from the upper clamping member 5, and by pushing downwardly on the horizontal leaf 15, the arms 12 and block 25 will also move downwardly so that the groove 27 will move out of engagement with the keel strip 28. The arms 12 can then be pivoted upwardly. Thus, the spacing between the upper clamping member and the hinge leaf provides a convenient mechanism for releasing engagement of the groove 27 with the keel strip 28.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A wheel assembly to be attached to a boat to aid in launching, landing and transporting the boat, said boat including a hull and having a keel strip extending longitudinally along the lower external surface of said hull, comprising clamping means removably secured to the gunwale of the boat, a supporting member extending downwardly along the hull of the boat and the lower end of said supporting member extending inwardly beneath the hull toward the longitudinal centerline of the hull, a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to the clamping means and having an opposite end extending laterally outward of said gunwale, the upper end of said supporting member being pivotally connected to said opposite end of the connecting member, means attached to the lower end of said supporting member and having a longitudinally extending notch disposed to receive the keel strip of the boat to removably lock the supporting member to the hull, and wheel means carried by the lower end of the supporting member.

2. A wheel assembly to be attached to a boat to aid in launching, landing and transporting the boat, said boat including a hull and having a keel strip extending longitudinally along the lower external surface of said hull, comprising mounting means attached to the gunwale of the boat, a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to said mounting means and havingan opposite end extending laterally outward of said gunwale, an arm extending downwardly along the hull of the boat and having its upper end pivotally connected to said opposite end of the connecting member and the lower end of the arm extending inwardly beneath the hull toward the longitudinal centerline of the hull when the wheel assembly is in the transporting position, wheel means carried by the lower end of the arm, and a member mounted on the lower end of the arm and being disposed in vertical alignment above the wheel means when the wheel assembly is in said transporting position, said member having a longitudinally extending groove disposed to receive a keel strip of the boat to thereby rem-ovably lock the arm and wheel means in the transporting position.

3. A wheel assembly to be attached to a boat to aid in launching, landing and transporting the boat, said boat including a hull and having a keel strip extending longitudinally along the lower external surface of said hull, comprising a first member having one end secured to the gunwale of the boat and having an opposite end extending inwardly of the gunwale, a second member having one end pivotally connected to said opposite end of the first member and the other end of said second member extending transversely across the gunwale, wheel supporting means pivotally attached to said other end of said second member and extending downwardly along the hull of the boat with the lower end of said wheel supporting means extending inwardly beneath the hull toward the longitudinal centerline of the hull when the wheel assembly is in a transporting position, wheel means including a pneumatic tire carried by the lower end of the wheel supporting means, and a locking member mounted on the lower end of the wheel supporting means and having a longitudinally extending groove disposed to receive the keel strip of the boat to thereby lock the wheel supporting means in the transporting position, the vertical distance between said second member and the upper surface of the locking member being greater than the vertical distance between the upper surface of the gunwale and the lower edge of the keel strip to permit said locking member to be moved beneath said keel strip and the buoyancy of said pneumatic tire tending to urge the locking member upwardly to bring the groove in engagement with the keel strip.

4. A wheel assembly to be attached to a boat to aid in launching, landing and transporting the boat, said boat including a hull and having a keel strip extending longitudinally along the lower external surface of said hull, comprising hinge means associated with the gunwale of the boat and including a first hinge member secured to the inner surface of the gunwale, said hinge means including a second hinge member pivotally connected to the first hinge member and extending laterally across the gunwale, a supporting arm pivotally connected to the outer edge of the second hinge member and extending downwardly along the hull of the boat when the wheel assembly is in the transporting position and the lower end of the arm extending inwardly beneath the hull toward the longitudinal centerline of the hull, a wheel carried by the lower end of the supporting arm and located in a vertical plane between a vertical plane passing through said centerline and a vertical plane passing through said gunwale, said wheel including a pneumatic tire, and a block mounted on the lower end of the supporting arm and having a longitudinally extending groove disposed to receive the keel strip of the boat to thereby lock the arm and wheel in said transporting position, the vertical distance between the second hinge member and the upper surface of the block when the wheel assembly is in a transporting position being greater than the vertical distance between the upper surface of the gunwale and the lower edge of the keel strip to thereby permit said block to be moved under the keel strip and the buoyancy of the pneumatic tire tending to urge the block upwardly to bring the groove into engagement with the keel strip.

5. A retractable wheel assembly to be attached to a boat having a hull and having a keel strip extending longitudinally along the lower external surface of said hull, comprising connecting means connected to the gunwale of the boat, a link having one end pivotally connected to said connecting means and the opposite end extending lateral-1y outward of said gunwale, an arm pivotally connected to said opposite end of the link and extending downwardly along the hull of the boat with the lower end of the arm extending inwardly beneath the hull toward the longitudinal centerline of the hull, locking means attached to the lower end of said arm and having a longitudinally extending locking member disposed to receive the keel strip of the boat to removably lock the arm to the hull, and wheel means carried by the lower end of the arm.

6. The wheel assembly of claim 5, in which the link is in vertical spaced relation to the gunwale when the locking means is engaged with the keel strip, said looking means being disengaged from the keel strip by pushing downward on the link and pivoting the arm upwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Christensen 9-1 Raveau 9-1 Newell 9--1 Smith 28047.32 Holsclaw.

Moore 28047.14

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

J. A. PEKAR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BE ATTACHED TO A BOAT TO AID IN LAUNCHING, LANDING AND TRANSPORTING THE BOAT, SAID BOAT INCLUDING A HULL AND HAVING A KEEL STRIP EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE LOWER EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID HULL, COMPRISING CLAMPING MEANS REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE GUNWALE OF THE BOAT, A SUPPORTING MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE HULL OF THE BOAT AND THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER EXTENDING INWARDLY BENEATH THE HULL TOWARD THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF THE HULL, A CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE CLAMPING MEANS AND HAVING AN OPPOSITE END EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARD OF SAID GUNWALE, THE UPPER END OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID OPPOSITE END OF THE CONNECTING MEMBER, MEANS ATTACHED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTING MEM- 